Terps Venture to Blacksburg for Tilt with Hokies

Maryland Athletics

11-11-2013

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Maryland football team hits the road for the fourth time this season and first time in close to a month when the Terps travel to Blacksburg, Va., to take on Virginia Tech at 12:30 p.m. Saturday from Lane Stadium. It will mark the 31st all-time meeting between the Terps and Hokies in a series that began in 1919, but will be the first meeting between the two teams since 2009. The all-time series is tied 15-15 with Virginia Tech having won the last five meetings including a 36-9 win over Maryland in College Park in 2009.

LIVE Coverage on ACC Network & the Terrapin Sports Radio Network• Saturday's game will be broadcast on the ACC Network at 12:30 p.m. Click here to check local listings. Tim Brant (pbp), Dave Archer (color) and Rachel Baribeau (sideline) will call the action. It can also be heard on the Terrapin Sports Radio Network - Johnny Holliday (pbp), Tim Strachan (color) and Scott McBrien (sideline) have the call. The game can also be heard on Sirius Radio Channel 136 and XM Radio Channel 191, as well as over the internet at www.umterps.com. The Toyota Tailgate pregame show with Glen Younes hits the network at 11:30 a.m.

First-and-10

• After missing the Clemson game due to injury, quarterback C.J. Brown returned as the Terps starter against Syracuse on Saturday. Brown completed career-high 21 passes for 211 yards. Maryland has passed for over 200 yards in all nine games this season and has eclipsed the mark in 10 straight games dating back to last season. That is the longest streak of 200-yard passing games in program history since the Terps did it in 11 straight games between the 1993 and 1994 seasons beginning with a 351-yard passing day at Georgia Tech on Oct. 9, 1993, and concluding with a 208-yard passing day at Clemson on Oct. 1, 1994.

• Wide receiver Amba Etta-Tawo served as Brown’s downfield threat against the Orange. Etta-Tawo finished with a career-best six catches for a career-high 109 yards receiving, including a career-long 26-yard reception midway through the fourth quarter. It is the fifth time this season a Maryland receiver has gone over 100 yards and Etta-Tawo is the fourth Maryland receiver to eclipse the mark. It marks the second time in three seasons the Terps have hit these totals. Maryland had five 100-yard receiving games from four different wide receivers during the 2011 season.

• Etta-Tawo’s 109-yard day is the second straight game a Terrapin receiver has gone over 100 yards. Wide receiver Levern Jacobs had a personal-best 158 yards receiving against Clemson (Oct. 26). Etta-Tawo averaged 17.5 yards per reception continuing the Terps’ trend of attacking defenses down the field. Despite averaging 10.0 yards per completion on Saturday against Syracuse, the Terps still rank fourth in the ACC and 12th nationally averaging 14.31 yards per catch. That average is the fourth highest in school history since 1980.

• The Terrapin defense did a good job of minimizing the impact of four offensive turnovers holding the Orange to just six points off of the four giveaways. This season, Maryland has surrendered only 63 points on 23 giveaways for an average of 2.74 points per giveaway. The number drops to 2.57 points per giveaway over the last four games as Maryland has held Virginia, Wake Forest, Clemson and Syracuse to a combined 36 points on 14 turnovers.

• In addition to its ability to minimize the impact of turnovers, the Maryland defense has done a good job of keeping its opponents out of the end zone inside the 20-yard line. On Saturday, the Terps held the Orange to one touchdown on three redzone opportunities. This season, the Terps have given up 33 redzone scores with only 19 of them resutling in a touchdown (57.6%), a mark which is the best in the conference.

• Defensive back Sean Davis led the Terps with 11 tackles against Syracuse. It is Davis’ second double-digit tackle game in the last five contests (12 at Florida State, Oct. 5). Davis has 65 total stops this season, which ranks second on the team, and he leads the squad with 39 solo tackles. Redshirt freshman linebacker Abner Logan, making his third career start, recorded his second straight double-digit tackle performance with 10 against the Orange.

• The Terps picked off Syracuse quarterback Terrel Hunt once on Saturday to increase their season interception total to 10. Freshman defensive back William Likely picked up his first career interception when he dove in front of Hunt’s intended receiver midway through the second quarter. Likely is second on the team with four passes defensed this season. Senior DB Isaac Goins leads the Terps with six passes defended, four of which have come during ACC play.

Quick Hitters From Syracuse

• Wide receiver Amba Etta-Tawo became the fourth Maryland player this season to go over 100 yards receiving. The redshirt freshman wideout finished with career highs in receptions (6) and yards (109).

• The Terps have totaled 200 or more yards passing in every game this season and have thrown for over 200 yards in 10 straight games dating back to last season.

• That is the longest streak of 200-yard passing games in program history since the Terps did it in 11 straight games between the 1993 and 1994 seasons beginning with a 351-yard passing day at Georgia Tech on Oct. 9, 1993, and concluding with a 208-yard passing day at Clemson on Oct. 1, 1994.

• With 211 yards through the air, Maryland now has 2,462 passing yards and is averaging 273.6 yards per game. The Terps are on pace for 3,283 yards passing this season, which would be the most since the 1993 season when Maryland passed for a school record 3,823 yards.

• Overall, the Terps are averaging 415.6 yards of total offense. That mark is the highest per game average since 2003 when the Terps averaged 421.7 yards per game.

•.Despite averaging 10.0 yards per completion on Saturday against Syracuse, the Terps still rank fourth in the ACC and 12th nationally averaging 14.31 yards per catch. That average is the fourth highest in school history since 1980.

• Maryland held Syracuse to one touchdown on three redzone opportunities. The Terps lead the ACC in holding opponents to field goals inside the redzone. Maryland has held opponents to 19 touchdowns on 33 opportunities in the redzone.

• Linebacker Marcus Whitfield was one of four Terrapin defenders to record a tackle for loss. Whitfield now has 12.5 TFL on the season, which is tied for fourth in the ACC. His 12.5 TFL has cost opponents 96 yards, which is the fourth most in a single season in school history. He is five yards shy of tying Martin Van Horn for third.

• With four TFL against Syracuse, Maryland is averaging 7.4 TFL per game, which ranks third in the ACC and is 15th nationally. The team’s average is the highest for a Terrapin defense since 2001. That season, the Terps averaged 9.2 per game.

Maryland Gameday Notes

Scout Team Players of the Week: Each Thursday during the season Edsall will announce the scout team players of the week. This week's scout team players of the week are wide receiver Tehuti Miles (offense), linebacker Clarence Murphy (defense), and wide receiver Regis Whittington (special teams).

Flag Bearers: Defensive lineman Zeke Riser will carry the American flag, and running back Brandon Ross, will carry the Maryland flag during Saturday's introductions.

Game Captains: With the establishment of the leadership council for this season, Edsall will name game captains prior to each contest. The captains for the Virginia Tech game are running back Albert Reid (offense), linebacker Cole Farrand (defense), and running back Kenneth Goins, Jr. (special teams).

Maryland-Virginia Tech Series History

• Saturday will mark the 31st all-time meeting between the Terps and Hokies in a series that began in 1919, but will be the first meeting between the two teams since 2009.

• The all-time series is tied 15-15 with Virginia Tech having won the last five meetings including a 36-9 win over Maryland in College Park in 2009.

• Maryland’s last win over VT came in 1990 at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium, a 20-13 Terps victory. Maryland’s last win in Blacksburg came in 1949. But Saturday’s matchup is only the fourth game at Lane Stadium between the two teams since then.

Media Information

• Terps on the Web: For up-to-date game stories, statistics, schedules and results, and other Maryland athletic department information, please log-on to www.umterps.com on the Internet.